DISCUSSIONS around declaring Freemasonry membership – which have made national headlines following a controversial policy change by the Metropolitan Police – will be discussed in the States Chamber.
Deputy David Warr is due to ask Privileges and Procedures Committee chair Deputy Steve Ahier whether there are plans to amend standing orders, to make it a requirement for States Members “to include membership of the Freemasons (or other secular fraternities) in their declaration of interest”.
The question comes just weeks after changes to the Metropolitan Police’s “declarable associations” policy was met with legal action from the United Grand Lodge of England, the governing body of Freemasonry in England, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
Speaking to the JEP, Deputy Warr said: “We all have to make declarations of all sorts of things.
“That’s been scrutinised quite heavily – do you own this? Or are you this?
“All of these things can become quite controversial, because it’s deemed to influence how you might vote in the Assembly.”
Deputy Warr added: “I know we’re picking up on the Masonic side of things, but there obviously are other institutions that you may well be a member of, which could have political implications.”
He stressed that his question was not a case of “let’s pick on the Masons”, adding that: “It just so happens that we’ve seen this issue with the Metropolitan Police in the UK, and that sort of triggered me in thinking, well, they’ve now seen that there’s potentially an issue around transparency in this area.
“Again, this isn’t to say something’s wrong or something’s going wrong or being done wrong, but at least you get a perspective as to why maybe someone is arguing a case in a certain way.
“That’s helpful to the public, it’s helpful to transparency – and then people can make their own judgment after that.”
Deputy Warr is scheduled to ask his question during Tuesday’s sitting.
“Declarable associations”
Under the updated Metropolitan Police policy, officers and staff will be required
to declare whether they are – or have been – members “of any potentially influential organisation that is hierarchical, has confidential membership and requires members to support and protect each other”.
The Met has stated that this includes Freemasonry.
